Reno McCoy

The Red Sonja certainly has a great looking base. Can't wait for the full reveal on that one.

Just received a few Star Wars action figure variants from Chris. Holy cow that dude knows how to package some comics. And the comics themselves were in top notch condition....true beauties. Add great communication and awareness, and you've got one hell of a great seller. Thanks, Chris. I look forward to buying more of your books soon.

The above is a bad picture, but even the best photos I've seen of pieces I have from people with professional level cameras and picture-taking ability don't capture what I see in front of me. You'll hear "this looks way better in person" over and over, but it's absolutely true. I've been buying statues since around 2002, and had tons of 1/6 scale, and I would recommend 1/4 without question. Less is more with these things. As far as there being fewer offerings, this is changing. 1/4 is basically an industry standard at this point, and more are always coming. That's part of the fun of the hobby for me; anticipating what's next, especially this time of year, since SDCC always brings with it new reveals. Thanks for the info and the pics. I'm super excited to dive in, and am looking forward to reveals at SDCC. I'm currently debating the Hot Toys Fett vs. the Premium Format Fett. Both look great. I like the idea of being able to post the HT version, but I'm worried that A) I won't be able to get it just right or B) it'll look like a toy with articulation points. Regardless, I'm sure I'll have my first by Christmas. or just get both and display them side by side. Hot Toys make the most amazing figures. I've never thought any of mine have looked like toys, the detail is insane I wish I had that kind of money, but paying $1000 for a statue of the same character doesn't make sense for me. I ended up pre-ordering the PF version.

The above is a bad picture, but even the best photos I've seen of pieces I have from people with professional level cameras and picture-taking ability don't capture what I see in front of me. You'll hear "this looks way better in person" over and over, but it's absolutely true. I've been buying statues since around 2002, and had tons of 1/6 scale, and I would recommend 1/4 without question. Less is more with these things. As far as there being fewer offerings, this is changing. 1/4 is basically an industry standard at this point, and more are always coming. That's part of the fun of the hobby for me; anticipating what's next, especially this time of year, since SDCC always brings with it new reveals. Thanks for the info and the pics. I'm super excited to dive in, and am looking forward to reveals at SDCC. I'm currently debating the Hot Toys Fett vs. the Premium Format Fett. Both look great. I like the idea of being able to post the HT version, but I'm worried that A) I won't be able to get it just right or B) it'll look like a toy with articulation points. Regardless, I'm sure I'll have my first by Christmas.

Wow. That's night and day. I had seen the comparison chart, but seeing an actual photo blows me away. The 1/4 are waaaay bigger. My gut has always leaned toward the 1/4 scale, even though there seem to be fewer offerings, they cost more, and they take up more space. But man oh man, those must look frickin' amazing in person.

I've got one more question for everyone. Does anyone happen to have a picture that shows a 1/4 figure next to a 1/6? I've seen illustrations that show the height differences, but I'm yet to see two 4th and 6th scale figures next to one another. Unfortunately, my local shop doesn't have many statues, and certainly no 1/4. I'm moving soon, and I plan to start a (small) collection. But without seeing any comparisons, I'm sort of stuck guessing as to which I might like more.

The Star Wars books are a fun read, but I don't remember seeing anything particularly grabbing about any of the issues.

I think I'll start off with a short run, probably Batman 400-450. They're fairly inexpensive, published when I was reading comics as a kid, and there's a handful of minor keys in there. So that's a set I can put together and enjoy. From there, I'll see if I'm the type of guy who can focus on a run or not and maintain a certain level of enjoyment from it. It's funny, the more I think about buying a full run, it's the chase that excites me most. The idea of crossing issues off of a list. I'm just not sure I care enough about 90s comics to dip into that era, and older issues might not be my thing either since I seem to gravitate to comics that were available in my lifetime, or comics I actually saw on the newsstand at one time or another. We'll see. Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

Thanks for the comments so far. I think honing in on a specific grade is crucial. As is making sure I'm collecting the right title and issue numbers. I'm still thinking that I want to collect some sort of run, but the more I look into the drek of the 90s, and the fact that there are many crossovers that I'd feel obligated to collect, I'm becoming unsure about the "full run" idea (even if the full run was never planned to go back to the first issue). This plan might need to be whittled down to something more like focusing on the first book I bought for a particular title to the year I stopped reading as a youngster (sometime around '92). But a mini-run doesn't sound as cool as a full run, and the start/end dates/numbers feels almost arbitrary instead of being something cool to track down. But yeah, the '90s...if I'm already unsure about buying that mess, imagine what I'd be thinking if I were spending money on those books.

After being out of comics for a couple of years focusing on other things (writing instead of buying), I'm slowly coming back into the fold. One thing I'm toying with is focusing my collecting energies on a full run of a particular title instead of hopping all over the place, buying whatever catches my eye that day. There was a thread a few months back about full runs, but it didn't really offer what I'm looking for. So, for those who have collected or are collecting full runs of a title, what are the pros and cons of the endeavor? Do you have any tips for someone who's just now getting started? The biggest concern I see for me (aside from starting a goal of collecting 300+ comics) is buying crappy comics. I'm a reader as much as a collector, so I've focused on books I've liked. But with a full run? There's a lot of out there I'd have to wade through and it might be hard to enjoy collecting that portion of the run. For what it's worth, if I go down this path, it'll most likely be with Batman, Detective Comics, ASM, or Daredevil. I'd most likely start on the issue that came out during my birth month (September '72) or start from the first issue I remember buying/reading of that particular title (Bat 400, Det 600, ASM 265, or DD 184)

Are there more than one? I thought it was just Barb Wire.

Anyone want to share their overall thoughts on XM vs Sideshow? I see that XM has a Star Wars license, and I'm curious to know which you think will be better. Granted, we have no idea what XM will produce, but still... My knowledge of statues so far is pretty much limited to SS so far, which is one reason why I'm interested in your thoughts.

When do you think is the best time to buy a statue? I'm interested in some of the upcoming Star Wars PF statues from Sideshow, however, when paying that much for a collectible, I want to ensure I get a good one. Is it best to pre-order to get the special, limited item? Or wait until they go on sale to read reviews and make sure the production matches the prototype?

I just need to slow my roll. I can see myself buying several right out of the gate. I like a simple comic room instead of a more cluttered one. Mine is currently very sparse, so I look forward to having a centerpiece or two. Beyond that, though, I hope I can limit my "gotta have 'em all" mentality when it comes to my favorite characters.

Well, I guess I collect statues now. I just ordered a SS PF Stormtrooper, and while I was at it, I went ahead and got on the waitlist for the Boba Fett PF exclusive. And now I'm already debating about the Black Widow, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman PFs.

After spending the weekend reading this thread and perusing various statue forums, it's time I (briefly) came out of my self-imposed Collectors Society exile. I've never purchased a statue, but I've been debating between the Sideshow Batman figures (Poison Ivy, Catwoman, or Batman himself) or buying up some of their Star Wars statues (would start with the stormtrooper). Now, however, I've learned that ARH has the Frazetta and Tarzan license and are producing some 1/4 statues (and, if all goes well, they'll get to my favorite: John Carter of Mars). The images I've seen look great, and I'm eager to buy my first piece (although having my first piece be something so large is a bit daunting). Anyway, I've got a couple questions I hope someone might try to answer: First, some of the ARH statue photos make 'em look like they have shiny skin, or that the paint jobs aren't as good as, say, Sideshow. Is that typically true in hand, or is that simply poor photography skills? Would you say that ARH has painting standards that match the other manufacturers? Second, I've read about and seen some individual figures from a variety of manufacturers that don't stack up to their for-sale photos. For example, sometimes a figure's eyes aren't right (either slightly cross-eyed or one eye is bigger than the other). For most manufacturers, if you get a statue you're unhappy with, can you get a replacement? Or is this one of those instances in which you cross your fingers when you open a box? I'm a noob with statues, and I know discussing new items is more fun than relating facts and opinions to the new guy, so I appreciate your responses.

That is not a spine roll, by definition. Lay the book on a flat surface. A spine roll is when the spine is either higher or lower than the rest of the comic. Often times for more severe spine rolls, the paper that was on the spine edge has physically shifted to the front (or to the back) of the cover. That's not a comic though, but a paperback book. For some reason, I assumed that the term was used differently between comics and books, and that with paperbacks, the roll comes from reading the book, which bends/rounds the spine...a sort of exaggerated spine crease.

Anyone care to share their thoughts (or even better, share their images) on spine rolls? I have an opportunity to buy a copy of Lawrence Block's MONA, and it's got sharp corners, nice color, etc., but there's a spine roll in effect. I'd consider it VG+, but I'm not sure if that spine rolling drops it to a VG or possibly even worse. I understand reading creases just fine, but with spine roll, I'm not sure what constitutes minor vs. substantial spine rolling. If anyone cares to chime it, I'd appreciate it. EDIT TO ADD: Actually, here's a snapshot of the book. How severe is this spine roll? My instinct is to say that it's too much, but the more I look at it, the less severe it looks.

Bookery (sorry, I don't know your real name), I like your statements above. One thing I've noticed is that a book collector strives to have the first state of a book. So if that's a hardcover, that collector wants that hardcover. If it's an old pulp magazine later collected in hardcover, and then later in a paperback, well, then the pulp is the prize. And that makes sense to me. However, today anyway, it's pretty difficult to find first prints of paperback originals of recent books. As you've said, they seem to be discarded easier than hardcovers, and there seems to be that sense that paperbacks are more disposable. But because of that, at least for me to some degree, finding these first prints of PBOs is more of a challenge and in the end more rewarding. For example, I recently went looking for one of Cherie Priest's steampunk books, which weren't published in hardcover. Finding someone who lists it online as a first print, or finding anyone who actually cares enough to have kept it in mint condition, is nearly impossible because of the "it's not a hardcover so who cares" mentality. Of course, this is a modern book and might have no worth being mentioned here...

I managed to delete my other post instead of editing it, but yes, I'd very much like to know more about which authors supplied the best reads. Buying based on the cover is certainly fun, but to some degree, finding a great author is even more satisfying. Then again, a Woolrich with a great cover can't be beat. (thumbs u

I dunno-- I don't think I ever got as excited over any comic book as I did when I turned the drug store spinner rack around to find this item staring at me... I still recall the adrenaline rush. The first book I ever purchased was WARLORD OF MARS, the Ballantine version with a cover by Whelan. I still remember eagerly searching out books with cool cover art (although this was the 1980s, and wouldn't be considered vintage). So I for one feel that there can be a childhood connection with books, just as easily as they come with comics.

Wow, there are some seriously great books on display in this thread. Would you guys say that condition is more or less important with vintage paperbacks than they are with comics from the same era? So far, I've been as strict as I can be, only buying the most cherry of books. I don't know a lick about rarity, and I'm still learning about pseudonyms, but I do know condition.

Wow, that's an impressive collection. I don't recognize as many as Bookery does, but I do see some authors I've wanted to read more of, such as Cornell Woolrich. And there's a Nightmare Alley in there, which I've heard about.

Any chance for a zoomed in shot? I'd like to see what you've got there, but alas, my eyes...